Senator Shehu Sani has sparked a debate on national unity after listing notable Nigerians from different regions who were born in the North. In a social media post, he named Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, renowned author Cyprian Ekwensi, and Kudirat Abiola, among others. He asked a powerful question: “What must have happened to that National Unity?”
Shehu Sani listed several prominent figures who lived and grew up in the North. Azikiwe and Ojukwu were both born in Zungeru, Niger State. Cyprian Ekwensi was born in Minna, Niger State. Kudirat Abiola was born in Zaria, Kaduna State. Major Nzeogwu was also born in Kaduna. Bola Ige grew up in Kaduna, and Professor Soyinka partly grew up in Zaria where his father was a Headmaster.
The former Kaduna Central Senator also mentioned that Umaru Altine from Sokoto State was the first elected Mayor of Enugu. Ike Madu from Imo State was an elected member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly. He noted that everything was going well with national unity in those days.
His post has generated widespread reactions on social media. Many Nigerians agreed with his observations and expressed concern about the current state of national unity. Some said the country has become more divided along ethnic and religious lines. Others called for a return to the spirit of unity that existed in earlier years.
However, some Nigerians argued that the examples he gave were about individual achievements, not national unity. They said the country has always had tensions but social media now amplifies them. Others pointed out that while notable figures from different regions lived in the North, unity was not always perfect.
